Fiber glass has fundamentally changed the sport of pole-vaulting, but Finland's hard-working Pentti Nikula and some height-conscious Americans prove it is mostly skill and training that make it possible to Jump up, twist around, set another record

Baseball in the Dominican Republic is an emotional outlet for the villagers, a subject of profound study for the sociologists and—since Dictator Trujillo's assassination—a delicate matter for politicians. It is also an engagingly good-natured game of dash and audacity, and the success of Dominican big leaguers in the U.S. has inspired a host of talented youngsters on the sugar cane plantations.